Motor vehicle door and door frame construction



y 1937. SHlH-LIONG MA MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR AND DOOR FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 23, 1936 ATTORN EYS Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATE Artur OFFlCE MOTOR VEHICLE noon AND DOORVIFRAME Li CONSTRUCTION Shih-Liong Ma, Ann Arbor, Mich. Application September 23,1936, Serial No. 102,18l

2 Claims.- (Cl. 29644) This invention relates to motor vehicle door and door frame construction wherein the door and body of the motor vehicle has a curvature extending vertically with respect to the body to 3.5 ,rneet-with present day designing of bodies.

I The present invention has for the primary object the provision of a curved hinge edge to the .door which matches the vertical curvature of the door and the portion of the body adjacent said silo door and the door frame adjacent the hinge edge of' the door being curved to match the curvature of said hinged edge of the door, whereby the door may be swung open and will present between its hinged edge and the body a space of minimum 13 size, to eliminate the undesirable feature in present day motor vehicle construction of having large spaces occurring between the hinged edges of the doors and the body when said doors are open and which will permit the use of hinges which are substantially invisible.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a motor vehicle body wherein the door frames and doors are constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional I view showing one of the doors open and illustrating the position assumed by the hinged edge of the door with respect to the door frame.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one of the hinges for connecting the door to the door frame to be taken on the line 33 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the door in an open position with the section line taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a View similar to Figure 6 showing the door open and taken on the line 55 of 50 Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the hinge pintle and the means of securing the same against displacement.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 55 l indicates a motor vehicle body of the present day design, 2 thedoors-and 3.. thedoor frame:

In present day motor vehicle construction the doors when positioned to open present between their hinged edges and the body undesirable large spaces which tend to nullify the appearance of the motor vehicle bodypAlsoiit is the practice to employ hinges which protrude a considerable distance beyond. the outer faces of the doors and the outer face of the body which also aids in destroying desirable appearance to the motor vehicle body. With the doors and door frames con+ structed in accordance with the present invention only a space of minimum size will occur between the hinged edge of the door and the door frame or body when the door is in an open position and will permit the use of a type of hinge which when applied to the door and door frame will be substantially invisible.

It is the practice in present day motor .vehicle construction to have the doors and sides of the body constructed with a curvature extending vertically of the body. This curvature is in an outward direction with respect to the body. In

order to accomplish the purposes and advantages of the present invention note is made of the curvature referred to and the hinged edge of the door is constructed on a curvature indicated by the character 4 which matches said curvature of the body and also the door frame adjacent the hinged edge of the door has a" curvature 5 matching the curvature 4 of the door. 7

As shown in Figure 4, the door includes a door frame 6 on which is mounted the outer wall I of the door. The door frame 3 has the outer wall 8 of the body I secured thereto. The outer wall "I of the door where the hinges are applied to the door is provided with minimum size cutaway portions 9 and also the door frame 3 and the frame 6 of the door arevnotched so as toreceive hinges [0 whereby the sections of the hinges are secured to the inner faces of the walls I and 8 of the door and body of the motor Vehicle. The hinges may be welded or otherwise secured to the walls I and 8 and each hinge consists of sections H and I2. The section II besides including the attaching portion has an apertured tongue received between bifurcated apertured portions of the section [2. The hinge pintle 13 extends through the apertures of the tongue and bifurcated portions of the sections l l and I2 and is-held in position by a set screw I l.

The hinges when mounted on the door and door frame in superimposed relation have the pintles thereof in vertical alignment. Thus it will be seen that the only portion of the hinge'which is visible when the door is closed is a portion of the hinge exposed through the cutout 9 made in the wall I of the door.

The hinged edge of the door and the adjacent face of the door frame to said hinged edge of the door are cut or constructed to present matched curvatures [5. The matched curvatures permit the door to be swung open to approximately a 90 degree angle with respect to the body with a minimum space present between the hinged edge of the door and the door frame adjacent the hinged edge of said door. The curvatures l5 vary between the upper and lower ends of the door and the curvatures being the greatest between the hinges of the door so that when the door is swung open the hinged edge of the door between the hinges moves inwardly of the door frame, as clearly shown in Figure 2, permitting the wall 1 of the door to come in close relation to the wall 8 of the body when the door assumes a full open position.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A motor vehicle construction comprising a door and a door frame, said door having a selected outer wall curvature to match the curvature of a wall of a motor vehicle body and provided with a curved hinge door-rail face with the curvature of said hinge door-rail face being of the same degree of curvature as the curvature of the outer wall of said door, hinges connecting the door rail to the door frame, said door frame having the face thereof adjacent the hinge door rail face of the door curved to match the curvature of the hinge door rail face of said door whereby the door may be swung open with the hinge door rail face thereof positioned in close relation to the door frame providing a space therebetween of a minimum size.

2. A motor, vehicle construction comprising a door including a frame and an outer wall and a door frame of a motor vehicle body, said wall of the door having a selected curvature to match the curvature of a wall of the body and having its hinged edge curved from the upper end of the door to the lower end of the door and said curve being of the same degree of curvature as the curvature of the wall of said door, said door having its hinged edge curved with said curvature extending at right angles to the first-named ourvature of the hinged edge of the door, hinges secured to the door frame and to the inner face of the wall of the door with the pintles of said hinges arranged in vertical alignment, said door frame having the face thereof adjacent the 

